Steve Smith Eyes Grenada Test Return After Injury Rehab

After securing a dominant victory in the opening Test against the West Indies in Barbados, Australia could receive a further boost with Steve Smith potentially joining the squad for the second Test in Grenada.

Steve Smith missed the opening Test after dislocating a finger during the WTC final © Getty

Pat Cummins, the Australian captain, confirmed that Smith has resumed batting practice following the finger dislocation he sustained during the World Test Championship Final. Smith had traveled to New York for rehabilitation, causing him to miss the first Test match.

Cummins stated, "He's had a few hits over in New York... his wound is looking good, so the next stage is to come over here and hit some balls in the nets. So we'll know more over the next few days."

The absence of Smith and the exclusion of Marnus Labuschagne exposed vulnerabilities in Australia's top order during the first Test, despite their eventual win. They were precariously placed at 22/3 in the first innings and 65/4 in the second. However, Cummins expressed confidence in his younger batsmen.

"You saw today how tricky a wicket that was," Cummins noted. "Of course, the top order would like to score some more runs. The challenge of Test cricket, especially for young players, is when you get thrown different conditions, you've got to find a way to be effective. That's the challenge for our young batting group."

The second Test match, a historic first for Grenada, is scheduled to commence on July 3.